Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 192
October 8, 2019
Toni Cox Interviews Character Patrick Blakesley from The Wolf of Ashford Manor
TC: Welcome to the show, Patrick Blakesley.
Patrick: Thanks for having me, Toni.
TC: Patrick, tell us what it is like growing up as a werewolf. Wasn’t it difficult for you as a child, being different, keeping secrets?
Patrick: My father taught me the ways of the wolf from a young age, so by the time the wolf within me started to develop, I knew what to expect. He really set me on my path and made sure I stayed on it. No-one knew I was different (laughs), as we are all very good at keeping secrets.
TC: I believe you spent some time in the war. Can you tell us about that time?
Patrick: It was a dark time, Toni, with much bloodshed, but it helped me focus my wolf and taught me to control my emotions. Besides, those senoritas on the mainland are just delectable.
TC: (blushing) I bet you have many stories to tell. Now, that you are back home in Ashford, what are your plans?
Patrick: Oh, you know, find an adventure and conquer it. (laughs) No, I’ll be going into business with my father as an accountant. Boring stuff, if you ask me. I mean, what could ever go wrong.
TC: What, indeed?
Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box SetDescription:
It doesn’t matter who you think you are… falling in love with the wrong person can have dire consequences.
They say love conquers all, but in the paranormal worlds of these twelve USA Today and international bestselling authors, falling in love means playing with fire…
Someone’s about to get burned.
Dig into hours of forbidden love, lust, and heat as these heroes and heroines long for their beloveds, break taboos, and fight for the ones they never should have chosen—but could never resist.
This boxed set is bursting at the seams with romance grounded in all things magical—from dragons and sexy shapeshifters to angels, warlocks, and uninhibited masters. We have something to strike everyone’s fancy.
Authors in the Playing with Fire set include:
Adrienne Woods – USA Today bestselling authorCarlyle Labuschagne – USA Today bestselling authorKristin Ping – USA Today bestselling authorAshlee Nicole ByeToni CoxCarissa AndrewsKathrin HutsonKat StilesMajanka VerstraeteKat ParrishKaren M. BrysonMonique Singleton
Amazon iBooks BN Google Play Kobo
The Poisoned CupKat Parrish
Book Description:
In the end, they blamed Guinevere for the downfall of a kingdom and the death of a king. Wed to Arthur but Lancelot’s lover, she was demonized and reviled for the tragic consequences of her betrayal. The story played out as a narrative of forbidden love and she was cast as the villain. That narrative was good for ratings and for selling newspapers, but it wasn’t anything like the truth. And despite all the words wasted by the media, spilling across pages and screens like so much black blood, the true story never came to light.
Until now.
PROLOGUE The Poised Cup
In the end, people blamed me for the fall of Camelot and the end of the British monarchy. As if one woman could do in a thousand days what a thousand years of war, murder. Family feuds, and anti-royalist sentiment could not. Those who blamed me conveniently forgot that when Arthur took the throne, he inherited a kingdom already in disarray. The Breixit mess had weakened the economy, fractured the United Kingdom, and left his subjects demoralized and unhappy. They needed a scapegoat, and they chose me for the role.It wasn’t even personal.Royals have traditionally been a focus for “civilian” discontent, and in many cases, understandably so. Royals were rich, after all, and therefore had no idea what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck or work more than one job just to be able to afford the basic necessities.It grated on the public when a royal—usually some dotty dowager duchess—was praised for being “hard-working” when the work involved was mostly smiling pleasantly while listening to a boring speech about some issue of little practical concern to anyone outside the room. After all, no one wants to hear the extinction of the skylark when their own jobs are in danger of disappearing even sooner.And it didn’t help that the royals were always so ubiquitously on display, with the press and the bloggers feverishly covering their every move, recording their every utterance, and memorializing their every fashion faux pas. And even then, in the face of nearly universal mockery, it took forever for the “fascinator” fad to die. I never could understand how a grown woman could wear something that looked like a toddler had made it out of pipe cleaners and keep a straight face. Or those silly flat hats that are tilted at such an acute angle that they looked like tiny alien spaceships had just landed on the royal coif.As a fashion designer myself, I always had problems with the overall royal “style,” but I never dragged anyone for it because I knew the women were stuck with all sorts of silly protocol, and not just practical rules like carrying purses in your left hand to keep your right free for handshakes and waves.My best friend Suze, who is simultaneously fascinated and horrified by all things royal, used to send me links to articles like, “36 Unexpected Fashion Rules the Royal Family Must Follow.” It was a lot more amusing to read them before I was an actual member of the royal family.Or as my cynical friend Jimi used to say, “Fresh meat.”Tired of the boring, well-done hamburger of the royals they were used to, everyone pounced on me like I was a rare filet mignon. I couldn’t really say I wasn’t warned. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I’d been around celebrity culture long enough to know how these narratives go. And the “commoner marries the prince” is one of the most potent stories of all.At first, people were charmed that a plucky American businesswoman had caught the eye of their favorite playboy prince. We were photographed everywhere we went—to the point where it began to seem like we were the twin leaders of some freakish cult. And that was the “honeymoon” phase. Soon enough, we all moved on to the second phase.Like a jealous mother, the public had their notion of who a perfect mate for Arthur would be. And their standard was so exacting, there was no way a woman who could possibly live up to their expectations and be “good enough” for “their boy.”
About Kat Parrish:
Kat Parrish is a former reporter who prefers making things up. Born into a military family, she has lived in seven states and two European countries and would sign up to colonize Mars if she weren’t so fond of summer. She is the author of the Shadow Palace Trilogy, the Bruja Roja series, and the upcoming Brotherhood of Stone and Artifacts of Chaos series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest near a haunted cemetery and several waterfalls.
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Twitter: @eyeofthekat
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Love is a Merciless GodCarissa Andrews
Book Description:
WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS, IT TYPICALLY ISN'T IN LOVE.
When Guardian Angel, Evangeline, fell in love with her human charge, Liam, she never expected it to come with such a high price. She was perfectly fine watching his life from a distance, but when Liam prays for guidance and he can suddenly hear her, Evangeline can’t help but confess her love.
However, there are laws in place—laws strictly separating the affections of humans and angels—and Evangeline knows it. If the Guild found out about her love, she could be sent to Purgatory—or worse.
Unfortunately for them both, Liam’s prayer opened him up to more than just hearing Evangeline. All the demons in the known universe come calling to answer his prayer and one of them overheard Evangeline’s confession. Unless she can stop the demon from turning them into the Guild, it will mean the end of everything.
This title is Carissa Andrews' submission into the epic forbidden love anthology: Playing with Fire!
Read an excerpt: https://my.w.tt/hXQVOGzi0Z
About Carissa Andrews:
Carissa Andrews is an internationally bestselling author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, and dystopia. As an expert in independent publishing and audiobook production, Carissa continually writes and publishes books readers of all ages enjoy. Her plans for 2020 include hitting the NYT Bestseller list with her upcoming urban fantasy series, The Windhaven Academy, due out September 2020.
You can learn more about Carissa and her upcoming books by visiting her website:
https://www.carissaandrews.com
https://www.subscribepage.com/carissa-andrews-smc
https://www.facebook.com/authorCarissaAndrews
https://www.twitter.com/CarissaAndrews
https://www.goodreads.com/Carissa_Andrews
https://www.amazon.com/Carissa-Andrews/e/B00FOPYLAG/
www.bookbub.com/authors/carissa-andrews
https://www.wattpad.com/user/CarissaAndrews
A Fated ExceptionEnhanced Series Book 1Kat Stiles
Book Description:
Cass is just a brilliant programmer to the outside world, a super geek paid millions to fix unfixable computers. What no one knows is she's really a technomage—she has the ability to communicate with any program or machine through touch.
The world Cass lives in is one that fears her kind. She is one of a dwindling number of “enhanced,” people whose DNA was optimized at birth. Hunted by OCEI, an organization that will stop at nothing to eliminate the enhanced, Cass and other enhanced hide their abilities to survive. Relationships are forbidden—the chemical reaction of fluids exchanged with super-charged DNA can be deadly.
When Cass is called in to troubleshoot an unresponsive android, she makes an alarming discovery: humanity is on the verge of extinction. Her only clue is a sexy shapeshifter, Tyler, who sparks a desire within her she can't control. No matter how much she tries to ignore him, she can’t deny the intense attraction she feels.
But that attraction is dangerous, for both of them.
Can Cass discover the plan to wipe out humanity before it’s too late? And can she resist Tyler, or will her desire for him be her undoing?
Excerpt A Fated Exception:
The problem android was strangely sitting upright with his eyes closed on a long desk in the middle of what appeared to be a lab. A mirrored glass took up an entire wall behind him. The first thing that struck me about him was his how lifelike he appeared. The only clothing he wore was a pair of white cotton pants with a drawstring, so I could see his entire upper body. I was amazed by all the little details—from the thousands of tiny little hairs on his arms to the beauty mark on his shoulder, and even his toned muscles—he was indistinguishable from any other human male. Apart from the low technological hum I could sense with my power, I wouldn’t have known he was a machine. It appeared as if he was in some kind of stasis, or suspended mode.To say I was fascinated would be a gross understatement. His skin was so realistic, his complexion a neutral kind of tan that would have made it impossible to speculate his ethnicity, had he’d been human. His hair was also a style and texture that could’ve belonged to any number of ethnic groups, or perhaps it was designed as a composite from several. It made him seem more universal somehow, friendlier and accessible. I was certain that was intentional, and I wondered what his purpose was.“He was created here?” I asked Lisa. “What do the scientists who worked on him say?”“They’re stumped. That’s why we called you. Even if it is a long shot, you’re our last hope.” She handed me a small binder with a cover sheet entitled, Victor. “This is the important stuff about this model.”And with that simple statement, she left me to my own devices. That’s it? No real background of the problem, no explanation at all? It was a nice departure from what usually happened—drinking from the firehouse of an IT guy, being bombarded with a lot of useless information. But whether I’d liked it or not, I’d come to expect it, and this was feeling more and more like a setup. I took a deep breath and exhaled. To my surprise, I felt instantly relaxed, which didn’t make sense given I was presented with a problem I didn’t know how to solve and likely under surveillance. The sensation was similar to the one I felt in the lobby, when… I glanced around, but Tyler wasn’t there. Weird. I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t alone, but I wrote it off to most likely being observed. By whom, I wasn’t sure, but there were too many odd things about this job to not be a little paranoid. I cracked open the binder and read through its contents. It outlined the things I’d already asked about or Lisa had mentioned: his off button, where his batteries were stored, and brief overview of his programming and functionality. I had a trickle of hope when I encountered a chapter called, How to run a diagnostic, but that fizzled out quick when I realized it required the android to be online. For sanity’s sake (and because clients often lie) I went through the steps Lisa had said they’d already taken—to reboot the android. The low hum I felt remained unchanged. Though I was apprehensive about using my power there, I had reached an impasse with the android. I covertly touched one of his hands. “What’s your story, Victor?” I said aloud. “Are they overworking you here?”I didn’t expect a response of any kind, I mean, I didn’t do anything. He was still in suspended mode, so it’s not like there was anything to interface with. But that low hum grew louder and more complex. I could sense his systems come online, as the POST occurred. His code base was a language called Dalia that I’d never heard of.His eyes opened, but they were all white—no irises or pupils, only the sclera. Which was just a little totally terrifying.Then light began to shine through his eyes, projecting an image on the wall in front of him. I turned around to see none other than Tyler in a video playing from his eyes. The timestamp was two weeks into the future.Tyler’s veins were bulged out and darkened, and his breaths were labored. “This isn’t just about eliminating enhanced, don’t you see that?” he said. “The strain has evolved. It’s killing regular humans now.”“We can fix that. We’ll develop an antidote.” The voice was garbled and I couldn’t see its speaker in the video.“Before…it…kills you?” Tyler spoke in uneven gasps, appearing to be on the verge of death. The illness seemed to be spreading. It was as if some kind of black substance had taken hold of his circulatory system and was now coursing through him, sucking his life force away. “If it wipes out enhanced, it was worth it.”I watched as Tyler collapsed. Then the video skipped to a different scene. The timestamp was later, about two months into the future. This one was much quieter. The video panned the streets of New York City. Bodies strewn about silently decomposed.“No survivors,” Victor said, his voice so close I guessed he was the one filming it. “They’re all gone. Everywhere.” He turned the camera towards himself. “You have to stop this. For the sake of humanity, don’t let them release that serum, it—”And then the video cut out.What the hell was that? Victor appeared to continue booting and his eyes became normal, complete with irises and pupils. They were a strange color—more of a brownish hue, with hints of green and blue. It was so real…the voices, the disease, the bodies. I doubt he could’ve fabricated something like that. But watching the future? That’s not possible.
About Kat Stiles:
Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where Kat now calls home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. Along with the man of her dreams, she has two children: a rambunctious nine year-old girl and a sweet but vocal five year-old boy. Four cats, three dogs and an inordinate amount of pet hair complete her household. Kat writes super-powered urban fantasy that’s sexy, fun and dark. For fun she likes to read urban fantasy, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. She tries not to take anything in life too seriously and she tends to smile often.
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The Wolf of Ashford ManorToni Cox
Book Description:
The animal within him was never far from the surface, but with her, the wolf was untameable.
Patrick Blakesley, born to a bloodline of werewolves, falls in love with the mysteriously shy, yet ravishingly beautiful daughter of his new employer – the Lord of Ashford Manor.
When the town of Ashford is besieged by a sudden spate of murders, suspicions fall on Patrick, for he has been discovered for the beast that he is.Although forced to go into hiding, it does not stop Patrick from pursuing his love for Angelica. Shacked up in an old boat shed, they discover pleasures such as only forbidden fruits can yield.
As Patrick discovers all that Angelica has to offer, the brutal murders continue.Are they strong enough together to discover the true beast and tame it, before all of humanity perishes before its wrath?
Excerpt The Wolf of Ashford Manor:
Patrick stood at the precipice of the white cliffs, and looked out over the ocean, staring at the distant continent across the water - the ship he had stepped off earlier already out of sight.Too long had he been away from home, and he now turned his back on those distant shores, burying deep within him the memories of the last three years.He strode out strong, his long legs steeled from the years in the war. He had miles to go to Ashford, and would not reach it for several days. He knew there would be some inns along the road, and hoped to find accommodations there for the nights.After a good day’s march, Patrick re-adjusted his heavy satchel, and stepped of the rutted road to let a wagon pass. The two heavy draught horses snorted uneasily as they passed him. He looked up into the sky, and realised night would be upon him soon.“Good sir,” he called out to the driver, “Would there be an inn close by?”“Not for another twenty miles, ‘m ‘fraid.”The horse nearest to him snorted uneasily, and the driver turned his attention away from Patrick. Stepping back from the road, he cast another look above. Wispy clouds sailed across an orange tinged sky as the sun began to set in the west. Soon, the moon would rise.Leaving the driver of the wagon to calm his horses, Patrick turned away from the road, and headed towards the forest not far off. A vein in his neck throbbed at the thought of spending the night within the confines of the dark trees before him.He walked deep into the woods, well out of sight of the road. At a pebbly creek, he hung his satchel upon a high branch of a tree before slaking his thirst with the cool water.As the light faded, Patrick gathered firewood and made a fire pit with rocks from the river bed. He put dry moss and kindling in the center, and then stacked some logs around it, but he did not light it.Instead, Patrick removed his clothing, folding it neatly and stacked it next to the fire pit. His clothes were worn and faded, but clean.Although muscular, his tall body was made of clean lines, long legs, and a broad chest. Years of war had made him lean, and tough.Naked, he cast an approving glance over his sparse camp, then walked away from it. Over the years that he had been away, he had learned to control himself. It had not always been easy, and until even a year ago there were occasions where he could not trust himself.Today, however, he was in control. Away from his camp, with the moon rising over the forest, his naked body distorted, changing shape with agonising contortions.Breathing heavily, the werewolf’s fur bristled in the cool evening air and he raised his snout to taste the scents on the wind. Tonight, he would hunt.
~
With blood dripping from his muzzle, the dark werewolf lay down beneath some brambles to rest. He licked his paw, content, his belly full with the flesh of a roe deer.As morning dawned, the wolf rose, silently padding towards the neat camp prepared the night before. After ensuring that the camp had not been disturbed, Patrick changed into his human form, reversing the contortions from the night before.He stood for a moment, shivering and sore, before he willed himself to light the fire. He washed the blood off his body in the shallow creek, donned his clothes, and then warmed himself by his fire while the memory of the wolf slowly retreated from his body.Coming back into his human form was always unpleasant. There had been times where he considered taking the wolf form permanently. Once, he had remained a werewolf for several months, and it had almost cost him his humanity.Once the shivering ceased, Patrick drank from the river, then extinguished his fire. He cleared his camp to make it look as if he had never been there. Soon, he was on the road again, striding out strong towards his home.He looked forward to coming home. Patrick was the only son and heir of Edward Blakesley, and they have always had a close bond. From the moment he was born, his father had spent every available moment with him.When the time came that Patrick could walk and talk and understand, Lord Blakesley had undertaken the task of educating Patrick in the history of their bloodline.It had frightened Patrick at first. Although his father never transformed in front of him until he was much older, Patrick often dreamed of beasts during the dark nights. When his mother came to comfort him, he would shy away from her, and only settle down when his father came into his room.For the most important, and unbreakable, rule his father taught him, was to never hurt his mother. It was one of Patrick’s biggest fears as he grew up. The werewolf rage could be a hard thing to control even for a grown man, for a teenager learning the skill, it could almost be impossible.Often, his father would take him away on hunting trips. Patrick felt more at ease during those times, away from his beloved mother, as well as the town folk.During the years between eleven and seventeen, Patrick learned everything he needed to know about being a werewolf, but the biggest test was yet to come. During those early years, the transformation was only partial, becoming fuller with every passing year.Patrick’s father called him a late bloomer, for Lord Blakesley had fully matured by the age of eighteen. When Patrick turned seventeen, his transformation still lacked its full intensity.Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, however, Patrick’s demeanour changed. He became agitated, expressed anger for no apparent reason, and often fought with his parents.He could not control these feelings and on days when he was calm, he regretted the way he had spoken to his parents. One day, his parents called him into the parlour.“It is time, my son.”At first, Patrick did not understand.“I have written to your uncle in Villadiego. There is civil unrest in that country, bordering on war, but he will be glad to receive you. Your term to reach full maturity has begun. For the next two to three years your body will undergo the most radical changes in your development. Are you ready to take this journey?”They had discussed this so many times, Patrick knew what to expect, yet the sudden thought of leaving had sent him into a fit of rage.With his father in full werewolf form, and his mother levelling her rifle at him, he had eventually calmed down enough to answer.“Yes, Father. I am sorry, Mother. I shall pack my things immediately.”
~
And so, his journey had begun three years ago. He had taken a sailing vessel across the channel to the mainland and then begged to accompany a tradesman on his trip to the Iberian peninsula.The tradesman carried weapons, for by now, the Carlists had declared war. Patrick knew nothing of Carlists, or even much about Spain, so he listened carefully when the tradesman spoke of what awaited them.By the time he reached his uncle, Angus Blakesley, two months after his departure from his homestead in Ashford, Spain was in turmoil. Lord Blakesley’s modest villa, set deep within the farmlands and away from the town of Villadiego, lay unscathed, unlike some of the towns Patrick had come through along his way.“My boy, it is good to see you,” his uncle welcomed him. “I last saw you when you were but five years old.”“Thank you, for having me, Uncle.”“It is my pleasure. Come, freshen up and then you can talk to me of home.”They soon formed a close bond, his uncle continuing the teachings of his father. Although a likable man and pleasant company, Patrick’s uncle was a strict and unforgiving teacher.This was good, for never before had Patrick felt such rage. At times, Angus locked Patrick within the cellar of the villa for days while his blood boiled within him, and his body screamed in pain as it changed.Other times, however, Patrick’s rage simmered deep beneath the surface, calmed by the gentle hands of the nubile bodies of his uncles maids.When he was nineteen, the war had spread, foreign legions joining the fighting. With the villa; and the town of Villadiego; under threat, Patrick joined the Spanish military. In desperate need of soldiers, no-one questioned his lineage.With his uncle by his side, he learned everything there was to learn about war, and more. Angus made him fight with rapier and lance until his body was lean and strong.Only once Patrick had proven himself in battle as a man; and proven he could control his temper; did Angus allow him on the battlefield as a wolf.During those times, their combined power was that of twenty men and they would always win the battle on those days. No-one ever believed those who said they saw an abnormally large wolf, and most dismissed the reports as wolves scavenging the countryside for corpses.It was then that Patrick tasted human flesh for the first time. It disgusted and excited him at the same time. The werewolf within him had never tasted anything as deliriously delicious as human flesh before, but the human within him rebelled against the thought of feasting on another human being.“It is was sets us apart from the ferals, Patrick.”“Ferals?”“Feral werewolves. Not bred of our noble line, but humans that were bitten. They are unable to show restraint and so choose to remain in their wolf form. It makes them forget their human lives. I know of no beast more vicious or dangerous.”“That is abhorrent.”“Indeed, my boy. Those creatures are truly terrifying, and are the werewolves the legends are based on.”After serving for nearly two years, Patrick returned to the villa. Angus now concentrated on continuing Patrick’s academic education, teaching him astronomy, mathematics, Latin, and the fine art of Spanish cuisine.Another thing he learned while residing at his uncle’s villa, was the delectable taste of the Spanish maidens. With his dark hair, pale skin, and sultry looks, he was never in short supply of admiring ladies.The servants at the villa soon spread the word of the handsome nephew and the young women who tended the orchards and vineyards around the estate would often make the detour past the villa on their way home.Patrick’s uncle neither encouraged, nor forbid it, but rather left him to find his own way in the matters of the heart and sexual fantasies. They never spoke about it, except during a lesson about reproducing and the woman bearing a son. Patrick took heed and, using his exceptional senses, would only lie with a woman if it was safe to do so.Patrick took all his uncle’s lessons to heart and, as he grew older, he matured. The war taught him humility, honour, valour, and, above all else, to value life.His final act on the mainland was to help his uncle hunt, and kill, a pack of ferals that had terrorised the town of Villadiego. A lesson Patrick would never forget.
About Toni Cox:
Born in Germany in 1976, Toni Cox moved to South Africa in 1991. Although she has spent much of her working career in the timber wholesale business, she is also an accomplished horse rider, has a diploma in project management, photography, and nutrition, and has a passion for books and all things fantasy.
From a young age, her dream had always been to put her imagination into words - give the stories life. When she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2013, she decided life is too short not to follow her dream. So, with the support of her husband and three children, she began writing book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy in January 2015.
Toni Cox writes Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy. She is a firm believer in dragons.
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JC Andrijeski's Halloween Spooktacular Playlist
Vampire Detective MidnightBook OneJC AndrijeskiGenre: Paranormal Mystery / Science Fiction
Publisher: White Sun Press
Date of Publication: June 25th, 2019
ISBN: 9781074675288ASIN: B07TJ2T9DG
Number of pages: 386Word Count: 101,821
Cover Artist: Damonza
Tagline: It’s hard being a cop in the future. It’s even harder when you’re a vampire.
Book Description:
Nick frowned, staring around at the alley floor.It hit him again.There was something wrong with this blood.It smelled too good.
It smelled way, way too good…
Vampire with a past and homicide detective, Naoko “Nick” Tanaka just got transferred to the NYPD, where he works as a “Midnight,” or vampire in the employ of the human police. Like all state-reg’d vamps, he gets his food delivered to his door, lives in government housing, and basically can’t sneeze without the U.S. government knowing about it.
More than anything, he just wants to be left alone, to endure his immortality in peace, but he’s barely in New York two weeks when things start to go sideways.
It all starts with his new case––a case involving dead hybrids, graffiti that tells the future, a kid who shouldn’t exist at all, and a possible conspiracy involving the richest humans in New York.
That doesn’t even get into the school principal, a woman with secrets of her own, who has a deeply unsettling effect on him.
Nick finds he can’t get personally uninvolved with any of it. Instead, he gets sucked in even deeper, until he’s pretty sure he’ll end up forcibly reprogrammed by his human owners––assuming they don’t just rip his heart out of his chest and be done with it.
Universal Amazon Amazon US
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/b7vs_32_PbI
Excerpt:
He needed to feed.It was putting him in a foul mood.That, and all this fucking blood…Nick frowned, staring around at the alley floor.It hit him again. There was something wrong with this blood.It smelled too fucking good.It smelled way too fucking good.That couldn’t all be Nick’s hunger.“Anyway, that’s what I can tell you so far,” he said, making his voice deliberately casual. “Without knowing who the victims are, or what brought them to this alley, it’s pretty hard to speculate on motive, but…”Nick hesitated then, realizing something.Frowning, he stepped closer to the pools of blood.Nose wrinkling, he crouched down so he could smell it from closer, even though the scent was overpowering, even from a lot further away. Taking a few full whiffs, he felt his fangs begin to extend in earnest.That time, he couldn’t pull it back.A flush of heat hit his gut and chest, burning in his throat. It was intense enough, he almost got hard, but he’d gotten pretty good at squelching that reaction, too.He stood up at once.Really, he lurched back.It happened so fast, that smell and his reaction to it, Nick forgot to modulate his body’s natural reflexes to accommodate the people around him. He was up and moving in a heartbeat, darting back in pure instinct, without slowing his movements at all.He moved fast enough to make the humans around him freeze.Instantly, they turned into prey.Ignoring them, and ignoring their deer-in-headlights reactions to how he’d just moved, Nick backed away from the pool of blood with a scowl.He backed away from the human detectives and tech team, too.“They’re hybrids,” he said, emotion reaching his voice.He turned around, staring at the humans sharing the alley with him.The stared back at him, faces blank, eyes holding flickers of fear.Frustrated, wanting to smash through that frozen prey look, Nick let his voice turn into a harder growl.“Jesus fucking Christ,” Nick said. “Did you hear me? They’re all fucking hybrids.”When they still didn’t speak, he averted his gaze with a scowl. His eyes returned to the alley. Staring around at all of that blood, it sank in what it really represented.Once it had, he couldn’t help but feel sick.
About the Author:JC Andrijeski is a USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author who writes paranormal mysteries and apocalyptic fiction, often with a sexy, romantic and metaphysical bent. JC has a background in journalism, history and politics, and loves martial arts, yoga, meditation, hiking, swimming, horseback riding, painting… and of course reading and writing. She grew up in the Bay Area of California, but travels extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, and from coast to coast in the continental United States. She currently lives and writes full-time in Bangkok, Thailand.
Current series include: Vampire Detective Midnight, the Bridge & Sword series, the Quentin Black Mystery series, The Morph series, and the Alien Apocalypse series. She’s also written a number of standalone novels, novellas and short stories, as well as nonfiction articles and essays.
To learn more about JC and her writing, please visit
Website: https://www.jcandrijeski.com/
Newsletter: https://www.jcandrijeski.com/mailing-list
Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150834498264133/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JCAndrijeski/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcandrijeski/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JC-Andrijeski/e/B004MFTAP0/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jc-andrijeski
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcandrijeski
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Guest Blog by ND Jones - Shifted Into Love: Hotel California
A Queen’s Pride is a coming of age story for Asha, my eighteen-year-old heroine from the Kingdom of Shona. She isn’t yet ready to step into the role of alpha female of her people. Yet, circumstances beyond her control thrusts her into that role. But wrongs must be righted, loved ones avenged, and justice served. But there’s a fine line between justice and retribution, which Asha learns but not before Sekhmet’s bloodlust has been quenched.
In Shona, the lion shifters believe in many gods. The most powerful of them all is Sekhmet, a lion-headed goddess of war, destruction, and healing. It is this goddess, with ten thousand names, who Asha calls on in her time of need.
Lady of Enchantments
Ruler of Serpents and Dragons
Devouring One
Powerful of Heart
These are a few of Sekhmet’s ten thousand names. To utter them all will invoke her spirit. Will you dare? Are you up for the challenge? No? Well, divine retribution requires a worthy vessel. Asha wants to be that vessel. But first, she must discover all of Sekhmet’s ten thousand names.
Can you help her? Perhaps the A Queen’s Pride Pinterest board can aid our young heroine. https://pin.it/2qt3jtkqqhv7zn
Shifted into Love: Hotel CaliforniaShifted into LoveBook Three Phoenix Williams, Shai August, Alexis D Craig, ND Jones Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: Three Fortnights Press
Date of Publication: October 8, 2019
ASIN: B07XLHVP38
Number of pages: 271Word Count: 72,000
Cover Artist: Covers in Color
Book Description:
Welcome to the Hotel...you know the rest. It's a lovely place but these paranormal romance writers are taking you on spine tingling adventures with shifters and fantasy creatures that will keep you wishing that you never have to leave.
From paranormal and erotica author, Phoenix Williams -The Haunted and The Hunted
Isabella Robertson is being haunted and that’s the least of her problems.
Shai August’s The Case of the Lost Opera Singer
Special Agent Shifter Colt Landry is going undercover with the unfriendliest Steward Agent he's ever met: Special Agent Witch Theresa 'Reese' Freeman.
Paranormal and thriller author Alexis D. Craig offers No Good Deed
Pallas is a prisoner of his own devices. A veteran of the Fairy Wars, between his PTSD and his curse from the Fae Winter Court, his nightmares leave him trapped within himself and within the hotel he runs, The Presidio. At least, until she arrived.
USA Today bestselling author N.D. Jones brings you A Queen's Pride
For eighteen-year-old Asha, traveling to Vumaris with her parents, alphas of the Kingdom of Shona, should’ve been a simple matter. Yet, greed and corruption know no boundaries of time and place, turning a family trip into the bloodiest night of Asha’s life. Will Asha and her boyfriend bodyguard, Ekon, survive the night of terror at Hotel California?
Amazon
Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/2mmvrK7
A Queen’s Pride by ND JonesExcerpt:
Asha grasped his hand again, tugging him away from the closed door and to a circular pit in the center of the room. With her urging, they sat on a plush, leather couch in the shape of a semi-circle. The burgundy color complimented Asha’s white-and-gold dress.Picking up the remote from the table in front of them, the television in an open cabinet opposite the pit, Asha clicked the unit on. Sound blared but was quickly lowered.“I thought we could watch a show. I like funny ones. But you can choose whichever one you want.” Kicking off her sandals and scooting close, Asha handed him the remote control and leaned her head against his shoulder.Ekon had never met a more even-tempered, sweet girl. She could be mischievous, sure, and a little obstinate, but nothing more than what was typical for an eighteen-year-old with a strict mother. At twenty, Ekon was little better, and he had far fewer responsibilities than Asha.“Mom only wants what’s best for me.”“I know.” Lowering his face, he sniffed her gorgeous mane of hair, tempted to run his hands through the dark, curly locks. She smelled of the countryside of his birth—lavender, moss, and with a hint of mint. “What do you want?”“For you to hold me while we watch some awful but humorous television sitcom. Then for you to kiss me.”“I shouldn’t have ever kissed you.”“You don’t mean that.”No, Ekon could never regret crossing the line with Asha ten months ago. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it. It’s just, I don’t want to mess up.”“You won’t.”“You only say that because I’m the first boy you kissed.”Asha patted his chest. “You aren’t the first boy I’ve kissed.”“Wait. What?” He shoved her until she sat up. “I’m not?”“I never said you were.”True but—“You are, however, the first boy I’ve wanted to do more with than kissing.”That stopped his mind from whirling and started his heart racing again. “You can’t go around saying stuff like that.”Her smirk reminded him of what he already knew. “Okay, fine, we’re the only ones in your suite. But you know what I mean.”“Actually, I don’t. It’s not as if I asked you to have sex with me right here and now.” A sure hand found his thigh and rubbed. “Unless, you know. We could. No one would know but us.”“And your mate, if your parents don’t approve of our union.”“They won’t choose my mate. They’ll weigh in on my choice, but they would never force me into an alliance not of my own choosing. Besides, I don’t have to be a virgin when I take a mate. I only need to be faithful to him, which I will be.” She patted his chest again. “You aren’t ready for us to become lovers, so this conversation is moot.”Affronted, his eyebrow winged up. “Not ready? Who’s twenty and who’s eighteen?”“Being twenty doesn’t make you ready. It just makes you two years older than me.” She nodded to the remote. “If you don’t intend on selecting a show, I’ll do the picking. Or,” she kissed his cheek, “we could kiss and touch and pretend we’re going to go all the way but know we really won’t.”Ekon liked that idea, but her statement about him not being ready, despite his age, had pricked his pride a bit. The sad truth was that she wasn’t wrong. Him not being ready had nothing to do with Ekon having had sexual experience with only one person—a high school girlfriend who broke up with him before beginning college. His feelings had been hurt, but she’d warranted no stronger emotion, certainly not anger or even disappointment.Asha, on the other hand, had a way of turning him into knots. Worse, she managed the act with unconscious effort like calling him on his unvoiced fears, while also making herself vulnerable to him by revealing her own desires.Ekon kissed her, lips gentle, tongue patient. When she opened for him, her moan a scratch behind the ears of his inner lion, Ekon slid inside. Licking.Tasting.Exploring.
About N.D. Jones:
N. D. Jones is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. She is a dedicated educator, committed to equitable and excellent education for all students. N.D. has served in the role as teacher, department chair, and professional development teacher specialist, supporting the learning of students and the professional growth of teachers .
She writes what she sees as a dearth in the romance genre--African/African American love with a paranormal twist. She spends a lot of time developing the mythology of her novels, as well as the execution of the paranormal element. When she writes a book with witches and shapeshifters, for example, she thinks it's important to show what it means to be a witch and shapeshifter. That's one thing a reader of books by N.D. can look forward to. The paranormal is not a sidebar in her novels. It's center stage and critical to the plot.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3249098.N_D_Jones
https://www.facebook.com/ndjonesparanormalromanceauthor/
https://www.amazon.com/N.-D.-Jones/e/B00BMD0IQK
https://www.ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/
The Haunted and The Hunted by Phoenix Williams
Excerpt:
I was running.That should have been my first clue that something wasn’t right. My fat ass didn’t run for fun. Yet, here I was, breasts jumping in the cheap Walmart bra, long thick legs burning as I ran down a never-ending foggy corridor. Bright magenta, gold, and teal lights swirled in the smoky mist that surrounded me. Numbered doors passed by in a blur.Screams echoed all around me so loudly that I could barely make out the snarl in my own throat. Every muscle in my body ached. My mouth was filled with the salty tasteof my tears. My soul felt like it was being ripped in half and, yet, I continued to run.“Bella.”The smoke and whiskey voice had my heart pounding harder than it was already. My legs pumped faster. Sucking in gulps of the fog, the bright colored lights swirled faster before my eyes. Rounding a corner, I slammed face-first into a solid body. Arms like steel bands wrapped around my thick waist.“Bella,” the voice groaned. “You’re mine.”Sitting up straight in my bed, I placed a shaking hand on my pounding heart. I glanced at the clock and groaned. Three thirty-one in the morning. I had less than ninety minutes of sleep left but I knew there would be no going back to dreamland.This was the fifteenth night in a row that I’d had the same dream. Each time I got closer to the voice, the details of the hallway were clearer. I had tried everything to get rid of it. Meditation. Exercise. No sweets after sundown. Getting pissy drunk. None of it worked.“Three more weeks,” I assured myself.In three weeks, I would have answers.In three weeks, I would meet with the Seer in Hell Fire Valley.I just hoped I could survive until then.
About Phoenix Williams:
Based out of Illinois, Phoenix Williams is an erotic romance, paranormal romance, and street lit author and lover of all things quirky.
She is a Jane of all trades. Award-nominated author. CEO. Producer. Screenwriter. AAMBC Journal contributor. As an author, she has built a brand that specializes in romance and self-acceptance.
She has been an author for Delphine Publishing since July 2015. Phoenix has created several series, the award-nominated Bird Family series, her bestselling Sex, Lies, and Friendship series, the Phoenix After Dark collection, and her first paranormal series, Queens of Beasts.
Phoenix Williams is currently creating two new series, Club Sugar and The Celestials. She is also working on adapting her Bird Family series into a Motion Picture.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5367137.Phoenix_Williams#
https://www.amazon.com/Williams-Phoenix/e/B0095I13OU
https://www.facebook.com/phoenixwilliamsbooks
No Good Deed by Alexis D. Craig
Excerpt:
His rifle felt heavy in his hands, fingers numb, palms sore from firing and climbing, finding places to hide from the unrelenting onslaught of Goblin troops. The air was too warm, his feet hurt from walking, and the smell, all the fucking gods and saints, the smell. A mix of crushed lily of the valley and powdery iris overlaid with the metallic tang of blood and ichor, never failed to turn his stomach and make his teeth sweat. Around the corner, he knew, was the ambush that would end the lives of the five fae with him. Why and how he survived was still a mystery that had no answer. Especially considering it led to him losing his wings not a week later. He wasn’t even supposed to have a gun, not really. He was a medic by training and had been en route to the mobile field hospital when their convoy had been ambushed, leaving him stranded with the remnants of his escort. There’s a certain heartrending irony about the medic surviving and being unable to save anyone else. Pallas could almost count down to the moment when the whole scene would erupt in a fountain of gunpowder, lead, iron, and blood. The fact he knew it was coming didn’t make the pounding of his pulse in his ears slow or still the shaking in his hands, but it gave him a little bit of comfort for when the time came. “What are we hiding from?” “Fook me!” The soft, feminine voice over his shoulder scared the soul out of him and sent him flailing, crab-walking backwards away from her sudden appearance. She was… new. Not part of the dream. With her mane of long black curls, mocha skin, and incongruously cute white tank top and blue starfish pajama pants, she’d just appeared out of nowhere with her strange smile and sharp eyes. Dropped whole cloth into this theatre of combat without a weapon, wings, or any kind of protection whatsoever. “Who the… how the… I...” Pulling a hand down his face, Pallas blew out a deep breath as he tried to collect himself, his mind’s internal clock screaming that they needed to take cover because the assault was inbound. “Who are you… how did you…”The explosion that took out a large part of the wall next to them killed his questions, his escorts, and rocked both of them off their feet. “Holy hell!” The woman, barefoot and wide-eyed, was on her feet and yanking him away from the site before his mind had a chance to kick in gear. “You coulda warned me!”He could have done nothing of the kind because the moment she touched him, her soft, delicate hand warm on his forearm, his brain did a hard reboot. It would have been easier to ask him to speak the language of butterflies—he could, but it would take a minute for him to think about it. The power rolling off her was immense, and natural, so far as he could tell, and so heavy it was like she cast no shadow. It clouded his thoughts, overwhelmed his senses. It made no sense. Once his mind came back online, he yanked her down the block and posted up behind the cover of an old delivery van. “Who are you?” Pallas demanded as he rounded on her. He kept a hand on his rifle but didn’t raise it against her. “How did you get here?”Her eyes were dark, fathomless like black coffee and just as warm. Back straight, shoulders back, she was a tiny little thing, very slight of frame, that barely came up to his armpit but carried herself like she could take him and three of his friends, too, with little to no resistance. “I could ask you the same thing.” “You first.” The breeze was hot and oily like car exhaust as it rushed over his skin, the scent of approaching Goblins and the rumble of associated heavy artillery. They needed to move out, now. To his amazement, she touched her wrist and a black hairband materialized for her to remove and tie back her unruly locks into a thick braid. There was heavy magic in play here, and frighteningly enough, he had no idea as to its origins. Last thing he needed was to cross another member of the Fae Legion. “I’m a Bishop,” she murmured as she looked around, her eyes taking in every single detail from the rooftops of the buildings along the bombed-out streets to the varying abandoned cars. “By name or profession?”She squinted at him for what seemed like a long damn time before quirking an eyebrow. Whatever scrutiny she’d given him, he’d apparently passed because she offered him her hand. “Syta Bishop, of the Sedona Bishops. And I don’t know how I got here. Where’s here?” Pallas couldn’t help the way his eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. Aside from Sedona being maybe 250 miles from his physical body’s location, there was no way for this to be happening. Right? Was this just a trick of his mind? His subconscious or the curse finding a new way to fuck with his equilibrium and mental health?
About Alexis Craig:
Alexis Craig was born in Tucson, Arizona and moved to Indiana when she was eleven. She's been there ever since, not counting the three-year stint in New York for college.
She is an avid reader of romance novels and forensic science manuals, a wife, a godmother to many, a loving aunt, avid ghost hunter, and collector of rescued pets.
In her free time, she tends to wander through haunted houses, bike along the Indianapolis Canal downtown, and travel to new places.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5273323.Alexis_D_Craig
https://www.amazon.com/Alexis-D-Craig/e/B00JZ67PVC/
https://www.facebook.com/Alexis-D-Craig-Author-147234841955791/
The Case of the Lost Opera Singer by Shai August
Excerpt:Plainview, Texas was almost the exact place where the landscape of deciduous trees started to recede to the land of desolate scrub brush, and the tires of the luxury sport utility vehicle rode like a dream over the miles of broken blacktop of West Texas. Opera music, Magda Olivera’s nineteen ninety-three recording of a selection of Adriana Lecouvreur blasted through the custom speakers. The opera singer’s unusual voice and singing style was still controversial even after her death. She chose to be surprised by his choice of music, but she shouldn’t have been deceived by the golden boy persona that he cultivated. Her regular partner, Artis Patterson was fascinated by Special Agent Shifter Colt Landry, ‘Mr. Perfect’ she called him sighing like a preteen whenever she said it. Reportedly, he’d never broken a single rule and there were so many rules, which is why her service record looked like triptych of ink splatters. She’d had moments to study Agent Landry through her friend’s eyes and her own. He was too everything; too handsome, too sexy, too by the book, too perfect from his brown speckled green eyes to his blemish free butterscotch skin to his spotless Agency record.She fanned herself, October should never be this hot. The dog days of summer were indeed real as the heat wave was on outside the SUV as evidenced by the waves bouncing off the blacktop. Inside, Colt Landry’s brooding had raised the temperature of the SUV with his smoldering good looks and the waves of heat that emanated from his hard body or maybe it was just her own body temperature that was soaring. The air conditioner was blowing full blast, but it didn’t seem to cool her in the least.
Colt
The scent of her was everywhere. They’d only been driving for eight hours, but mentally it felt like they’d been together for eight days. In his twelve years as a Steward Agent never had he wanted to quit a mission before it started, she was a quiet, non-communicative distraction. If they’d shared more than twenty words the whole drive, he’d be dismayed. He’d seen Special Agent Witch Theresa ‘Reese’ Freeman and her partner several times at Headquarters, he’d just never been in close sniffing range. Now he could feel his beast prowling the perimeter of their mind, pushing him. No, urging him to lean over the console and breathe in a nose full of her scents. Her natural body scent was that of apricots and honey, but the scent of her magic was warm brandy. Combined, the trio of smells were a heady intoxicant that had him partially drunk and ready to sink his teeth and manhood into her. He needed to distract himself from the glorious smells. “Want to review our cover story one last time? Before we get too close to prying eyes and listening ears?” They were still an hour from their destination according to the in-dash navigation system.“How do you know we aren’t being observed already?” she challenged, her Alabama accent was thick, like her hair and her lips and her hips and her thighs, which was visual eye candy to him. His gaze could barely stay on the road with her leaned back in the passenger seat with one perfect thigh crossed over the other in a tight white romper.Stifling a groan as his mind and that of the beast began undressing her for the hundredth time since they’d left Headquarters in Houston. “I’d assume that you would have informed me if you suspected surveillance. Was I incorrect in my assumption?”“No.” That no dropped from her lips with the force of a bomb. That no felt like a curse word, she didn’t seem pleased to be around him at all and it made the beast want her more. They loved a short chase, but Reese was more of a big game hunt. “I’m Troy Wilmington the Third,” Assuming his poshest, oil and gas money had greased the skis of his whole life Texas accent, he practiced, “and you are my blushing bride, Felice Wilmington.”She looked down on the French-set diamond banded ring with the four-karat emerald cut diamond sparkling in the middle, courtesy of the property room. Every woman on the floor had inhaled dramatically when the Special Agent Warlock in charge of the Property Room brought it out. “You’re a stockbroker or some type of finance guy. I, Felice can’t be bothered to know the details, just as long as you keep me in pretty baubles.” She flashed her left hand, showing the ring and the matching tennis bracelet that dangled beautifully from her slim wrist, against her creamy dark skin. Skin he wanted to lick to see if it tasted of apricots and honey.“You’re a classically trained opera singer,” he started in the posh accent, but dropped back to his own natural one. “Can you really sing opera?” he asked skeptically.“Do you really believe Zosime would send an Agent undercover who couldn’t do the assignment?” she countered, referring to the centaur head of the Shifter and Magic Task Wardens. The paranormal version of the Federal Bureau of Investigations that they worked for, even though the Stewards were older than the FBI, CIA and MI-6 combined. The Stewards were the police force shifters and witches called when the regular human police wouldn’t do. You didn’t want human cops trying to arrest a pack of werebears, that’s how you got massacres.“You’re a witch who sings opera? More than that, you’re a Freeman witch, given that thick Alabama accent means more than likely, you hail from Freemanville, Alabama, and as far as I know, Alabama is not a hot spot on the opera touring companies.” The woman was a fascinating mix of contradictions and he wanted to undo the knot. He chuckled. More than her scent had gotten to him, she was invading his psyche more every minute. He should turn this SUV around and head back to Houston.
About Shai August:
Shai August is a country girl with a big imagination, more than a touch of wanderlust and a never-ending desire to live in both an RV traveling the world and a library. Her love language is words of affirmations followed by books, bacon and bourbon.
She's a born and bred Louisiana native, but is currently doing an impression of a yellow rose of Texas. She is fluent in English, sarcasm and memes. Her goal is to write fast paced, character driven paranormal fiction for women of color.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18477882.Shai_August
https://www.amazon.com/Shai-August/e/B07HVBZ56Q/
https://www.facebook.com/Three-Fortnights-Press-1019644041564671/
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October 7, 2019
Urban Fantastic! Ten Terrific Urban Fantasy Series You Should be Reading with Kat Parrish
Urban Fantastic!Ten Terrific Urban Fantasy Series You Should be Reading
By Kat Parrish
I came to urban fantasy through the gateway of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books and that series still holds a warm place in my heart. I had never read a book in the UF genre before I stumbled across Guilty Pleasures , and I devoured each book as it came out. At some point I moved on to other books and other authors. Yes, I love Carrie Vaughn and Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs, but there are some great UF books (and series) that aren’t as well-known as they should be. Here’s my current list of favorite UF books:
A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift #1) by Kate Griffin
Set in a lovingly detailed alternate London where rival sorcerers take the underground and powerful beings are everywhere, this is the story of “the last sorcerer in London” who died two years ago but has been called back to life. Matthew’s search for his killer and the necromancer who resurrected him is fraught with perils and evils and wildly imaginative creatures like the “Electric Blue Angels” and “the Hunger.”
An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard
Imagine Game of Thrones as an urban fantasy set in New York where great houses of magicians battle for supremacy at each “turning.” There’s a huge cast here—something I like, and the intrigue is complex and well-worked out. There’s even a “breaker of chains” sort of character in Sydney, a powerful magician who doesn’t want to fix the broken system—spells going terribly wrong—but wants to destroy it. I hope Howard writes a sequel to this soon.
Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher
The first book of the author’s “Brotherhood of the Wheel” series, this is an imaginative and well-developed urban fantasy in which a “brotherhood” of people who live their lives on the road—whether cabbies or RV gypsies, or state troopers, or bikers, or truckers—have been protecting travelers since the time of the Templars. It’s dark—the plot involves missing children—but the writer is terrific at evoking emotion. There’s a scene where Jimmie, the trucker hero, “takes a ghost home” that almost made me cry.
Burn the Dark: Malus Domestica #1 by S.A. Hunt
Originally published as Malus Domesticawith the exceptionally beautiful cove seen here. For some reason, on the new edition, the cover has been replaced by one that frankly looks like it was bought as a premade from a budget site, this is a strange tale that verges on horror but is so much more. This new edition won’t be out until January 2020, and the paperback version of the old edition is listed for sale on Amazon for a little less than $900, which is silly. This is not like any other “young woman fights witches” book you’ve ever read, and the monsters are real and the danger visceral. It’s intense.
Dragon Blood by Shay Roberts
This first in a trio of books about a relic hunter who happens to be a dragon-shifter avoids all the silly tropes of “shifter” books and digs into biology and politics, and beautifully researched history as the hero’s story unfolds. There are unusually nuanced characters here, including a portrait of an academic suffering from a horrific (and real) disease that’s literally causing him to fall apart. The whole series is extremely satisfying, and Roberts’ recreation of ancient events from a modern perspective is lively and enlightening.by R.C. Barnes
Pretty Little Gun by R.C. Barnes
This is a bite-size story that introduces the world of Barnes’ “Tattoo Teller” series which will debut this fall. It is nominally YA—the heroine is a teenage girl—but the world-building, even in this short piece is the kind of immersive and original world that should attract adult readers. The characters are diverse, the themes timely, and the writing fresh and assured. There’s texture to this world and real-world credibility that grounds the uncanny elements. We get hints of magic ritual here and lots and lots of mysteries and secrets.
Midnight Riot: Rivers of London #1 by Ben Aaronovitch
Labeled a “paranormal police procedural,” the story follows a rookie cop who can see ghosts as he investigates a series of murders. The young cop in question, Peter Grant seems resigned to a life pushing paper when he helps solve a case with information passed on by a ghost. This gets him noticed by the cop in charge of paranormal crime in London and puts him on the front lines as a long-dead evil makes a comeback. I am not sure if this was meant to be a one-off or a series, but there are now seven books out.
The Naming of the Beasts (Felix Castor #5) by Mike Carey
For now, this is the final book in Carey’s series about Felix “Fix” Castor, a freelance exorcist who lives in London. (Carey has “teased” the possibility of writing a sixth book if the re-issue of the first five brings him enough new readers. The series should probably be read in order (the first is called The Devil You Know), and the tone of the books darken as the series progresses. Carey’s got some philosophical topics in mind and Castor is haunted (so to speak) by ethical questions about what he does. This gives a nice underpinning to the demonic doings.
The Veil by Chloe Neill
The city of New Orleans and magic just seem to go together, but Neill (author of the Chicagoland Vampire series) has avoided the obvious to craft a tale about a young woman who is desperate to keep her magical powers secret. There are lots of books about places where magic is outlawed and magic users under siege (the whole of Katherine Kurtz’ Deryni Chronicles begins with that), but this story has a lot of twists and the heroine is likable and the backdrop of war between humans and supernatural creatures is a great place for an urban fantasy to start. There are at least four books in the series so I’m looking forward to reading more.
The Voodoo Killings by Kristi Charish
The first in a series of books about Kincaid Strange, a voodoo practitioner who shares her living space with a ghost of a grunge rocker and has to deal with the problems of pretty much every other person her age—she’s 27 and dead broke in Seattle. (Her “roommate” obligingly helps out by giving guitar lessons while Kincaid organizes seances for college students. This is another book with an “open universe” in that people know paranormal creatures exist but a lot of magic is outlawed. Kincaid is a really likable heroine and her paranormal Seattle is layered. There are more books in the series and they’re in my TBR pile.
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Kat Parrish is the author of The Poisoned Cup, available exclusively in the box set Playing with Fire: Stories of Forbidden Love. Sign up for her newsletter Eye of the Kat at: http://kattomic-energy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box SetDescription:
It doesn’t matter who you think you are… falling in love with the wrong person can have dire consequences.
They say love conquers all, but in the paranormal worlds of these twelve USA Today and international bestselling authors, falling in love means playing with fire…
Someone’s about to get burned.
Dig into hours of forbidden love, lust, and heat as these heroes and heroines long for their beloveds, break taboos, and fight for the ones they never should have chosen—but could never resist.
This boxed set is bursting at the seams with romance grounded in all things magical—from dragons and sexy shapeshifters to angels, warlocks, and uninhibited masters. We have something to strike everyone’s fancy.
Authors in the Playing with Fire set include:
Adrienne Woods – USA Today bestselling authorCarlyle Labuschagne – USA Today bestselling authorKristin Ping – USA Today bestselling authorAshlee Nicole ByeToni CoxCarissa AndrewsKathrin HutsonKat StilesMajanka VerstraeteKat ParrishKaren M. BrysonMonique Singleton
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The Poisoned CupKat Parrish
Book Description:
In the end, they blamed Guinevere for the downfall of a kingdom and the death of a king. Wed to Arthur but Lancelot’s lover, she was demonized and reviled for the tragic consequences of her betrayal. The story played out as a narrative of forbidden love and she was cast as the villain. That narrative was good for ratings and for selling newspapers, but it wasn’t anything like the truth. And despite all the words wasted by the media, spilling across pages and screens like so much black blood, the true story never came to light.
Until now.
PROLOGUE The Poised Cup
In the end, people blamed me for the fall of Camelot and the end of the British monarchy. As if one woman could do in a thousand days what a thousand years of war, murder. Family feuds, and anti-royalist sentiment could not. Those who blamed me conveniently forgot that when Arthur took the throne, he inherited a kingdom already in disarray. The Breixit mess had weakened the economy, fractured the United Kingdom, and left his subjects demoralized and unhappy. They needed a scapegoat, and they chose me for the role.It wasn’t even personal.Royals have traditionally been a focus for “civilian” discontent, and in many cases, understandably so. Royals were rich, after all, and therefore had no idea what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck or work more than one job just to be able to afford the basic necessities.It grated on the public when a royal—usually some dotty dowager duchess—was praised for being “hard-working” when the work involved was mostly smiling pleasantly while listening to a boring speech about some issue of little practical concern to anyone outside the room. After all, no one wants to hear the extinction of the skylark when their own jobs are in danger of disappearing even sooner.And it didn’t help that the royals were always so ubiquitously on display, with the press and the bloggers feverishly covering their every move, recording their every utterance, and memorializing their every fashion faux pas. And even then, in the face of nearly universal mockery, it took forever for the “fascinator” fad to die. I never could understand how a grown woman could wear something that looked like a toddler had made it out of pipe cleaners and keep a straight face. Or those silly flat hats that are tilted at such an acute angle that they looked like tiny alien spaceships had just landed on the royal coif.As a fashion designer myself, I always had problems with the overall royal “style,” but I never dragged anyone for it because I knew the women were stuck with all sorts of silly protocol, and not just practical rules like carrying purses in your left hand to keep your right free for handshakes and waves.My best friend Suze, who is simultaneously fascinated and horrified by all things royal, used to send me links to articles like, “36 Unexpected Fashion Rules the Royal Family Must Follow.” It was a lot more amusing to read them before I was an actual member of the royal family.Or as my cynical friend Jimi used to say, “Fresh meat.”Tired of the boring, well-done hamburger of the royals they were used to, everyone pounced on me like I was a rare filet mignon. I couldn’t really say I wasn’t warned. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I’d been around celebrity culture long enough to know how these narratives go. And the “commoner marries the prince” is one of the most potent stories of all.At first, people were charmed that a plucky American businesswoman had caught the eye of their favorite playboy prince. We were photographed everywhere we went—to the point where it began to seem like we were the twin leaders of some freakish cult. And that was the “honeymoon” phase. Soon enough, we all moved on to the second phase.Like a jealous mother, the public had their notion of who a perfect mate for Arthur would be. And their standard was so exacting, there was no way a woman who could possibly live up to their expectations and be “good enough” for “their boy.”
About Kat Parrish:
Kat Parrish is a former reporter who prefers making things up. Born into a military family, she has lived in seven states and two European countries and would sign up to colonize Mars if she weren’t so fond of summer. She is the author of the Shadow Palace Trilogy, the Bruja Roja series, and the upcoming Brotherhood of Stone and Artifacts of Chaos series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest near a haunted cemetery and several waterfalls.
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Twitter: @eyeofthekat
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Love is a Merciless GodCarissa Andrews
Book Description:
WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS, IT TYPICALLY ISN'T IN LOVE.
When Guardian Angel, Evangeline, fell in love with her human charge, Liam, she never expected it to come with such a high price. She was perfectly fine watching his life from a distance, but when Liam prays for guidance and he can suddenly hear her, Evangeline can’t help but confess her love.
However, there are laws in place—laws strictly separating the affections of humans and angels—and Evangeline knows it. If the Guild found out about her love, she could be sent to Purgatory—or worse.
Unfortunately for them both, Liam’s prayer opened him up to more than just hearing Evangeline. All the demons in the known universe come calling to answer his prayer and one of them overheard Evangeline’s confession. Unless she can stop the demon from turning them into the Guild, it will mean the end of everything.
This title is Carissa Andrews' submission into the epic forbidden love anthology: Playing with Fire!
Read an excerpt: https://my.w.tt/hXQVOGzi0Z
About Carissa Andrews:
Carissa Andrews is an internationally bestselling author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, and dystopia. As an expert in independent publishing and audiobook production, Carissa continually writes and publishes books readers of all ages enjoy. Her plans for 2020 include hitting the NYT Bestseller list with her upcoming urban fantasy series, The Windhaven Academy, due out September 2020.
You can learn more about Carissa and her upcoming books by visiting her website:
https://www.carissaandrews.com
https://www.subscribepage.com/carissa-andrews-smc
https://www.facebook.com/authorCarissaAndrews
https://www.twitter.com/CarissaAndrews
https://www.goodreads.com/Carissa_Andrews
https://www.amazon.com/Carissa-Andrews/e/B00FOPYLAG/
www.bookbub.com/authors/carissa-andrews
https://www.wattpad.com/user/CarissaAndrews
A Fated ExceptionEnhanced Series Book 1Kat Stiles
Book Description:
Cass is just a brilliant programmer to the outside world, a super geek paid millions to fix unfixable computers. What no one knows is she's really a technomage—she has the ability to communicate with any program or machine through touch.
The world Cass lives in is one that fears her kind. She is one of a dwindling number of “enhanced,” people whose DNA was optimized at birth. Hunted by OCEI, an organization that will stop at nothing to eliminate the enhanced, Cass and other enhanced hide their abilities to survive. Relationships are forbidden—the chemical reaction of fluids exchanged with super-charged DNA can be deadly.
When Cass is called in to troubleshoot an unresponsive android, she makes an alarming discovery: humanity is on the verge of extinction. Her only clue is a sexy shapeshifter, Tyler, who sparks a desire within her she can't control. No matter how much she tries to ignore him, she can’t deny the intense attraction she feels.
But that attraction is dangerous, for both of them.
Can Cass discover the plan to wipe out humanity before it’s too late? And can she resist Tyler, or will her desire for him be her undoing?
Excerpt A Fated Exception:
The problem android was strangely sitting upright with his eyes closed on a long desk in the middle of what appeared to be a lab. A mirrored glass took up an entire wall behind him. The first thing that struck me about him was his how lifelike he appeared. The only clothing he wore was a pair of white cotton pants with a drawstring, so I could see his entire upper body. I was amazed by all the little details—from the thousands of tiny little hairs on his arms to the beauty mark on his shoulder, and even his toned muscles—he was indistinguishable from any other human male. Apart from the low technological hum I could sense with my power, I wouldn’t have known he was a machine. It appeared as if he was in some kind of stasis, or suspended mode.To say I was fascinated would be a gross understatement. His skin was so realistic, his complexion a neutral kind of tan that would have made it impossible to speculate his ethnicity, had he’d been human. His hair was also a style and texture that could’ve belonged to any number of ethnic groups, or perhaps it was designed as a composite from several. It made him seem more universal somehow, friendlier and accessible. I was certain that was intentional, and I wondered what his purpose was.“He was created here?” I asked Lisa. “What do the scientists who worked on him say?”“They’re stumped. That’s why we called you. Even if it is a long shot, you’re our last hope.” She handed me a small binder with a cover sheet entitled, Victor. “This is the important stuff about this model.”And with that simple statement, she left me to my own devices. That’s it? No real background of the problem, no explanation at all? It was a nice departure from what usually happened—drinking from the firehouse of an IT guy, being bombarded with a lot of useless information. But whether I’d liked it or not, I’d come to expect it, and this was feeling more and more like a setup. I took a deep breath and exhaled. To my surprise, I felt instantly relaxed, which didn’t make sense given I was presented with a problem I didn’t know how to solve and likely under surveillance. The sensation was similar to the one I felt in the lobby, when… I glanced around, but Tyler wasn’t there. Weird. I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t alone, but I wrote it off to most likely being observed. By whom, I wasn’t sure, but there were too many odd things about this job to not be a little paranoid. I cracked open the binder and read through its contents. It outlined the things I’d already asked about or Lisa had mentioned: his off button, where his batteries were stored, and brief overview of his programming and functionality. I had a trickle of hope when I encountered a chapter called, How to run a diagnostic, but that fizzled out quick when I realized it required the android to be online. For sanity’s sake (and because clients often lie) I went through the steps Lisa had said they’d already taken—to reboot the android. The low hum I felt remained unchanged. Though I was apprehensive about using my power there, I had reached an impasse with the android. I covertly touched one of his hands. “What’s your story, Victor?” I said aloud. “Are they overworking you here?”I didn’t expect a response of any kind, I mean, I didn’t do anything. He was still in suspended mode, so it’s not like there was anything to interface with. But that low hum grew louder and more complex. I could sense his systems come online, as the POST occurred. His code base was a language called Dalia that I’d never heard of.His eyes opened, but they were all white—no irises or pupils, only the sclera. Which was just a little totally terrifying.Then light began to shine through his eyes, projecting an image on the wall in front of him. I turned around to see none other than Tyler in a video playing from his eyes. The timestamp was two weeks into the future.Tyler’s veins were bulged out and darkened, and his breaths were labored. “This isn’t just about eliminating enhanced, don’t you see that?” he said. “The strain has evolved. It’s killing regular humans now.”“We can fix that. We’ll develop an antidote.” The voice was garbled and I couldn’t see its speaker in the video.“Before…it…kills you?” Tyler spoke in uneven gasps, appearing to be on the verge of death. The illness seemed to be spreading. It was as if some kind of black substance had taken hold of his circulatory system and was now coursing through him, sucking his life force away. “If it wipes out enhanced, it was worth it.”I watched as Tyler collapsed. Then the video skipped to a different scene. The timestamp was later, about two months into the future. This one was much quieter. The video panned the streets of New York City. Bodies strewn about silently decomposed.“No survivors,” Victor said, his voice so close I guessed he was the one filming it. “They’re all gone. Everywhere.” He turned the camera towards himself. “You have to stop this. For the sake of humanity, don’t let them release that serum, it—”And then the video cut out.What the hell was that? Victor appeared to continue booting and his eyes became normal, complete with irises and pupils. They were a strange color—more of a brownish hue, with hints of green and blue. It was so real…the voices, the disease, the bodies. I doubt he could’ve fabricated something like that. But watching the future? That’s not possible.
About Kat Stiles:
Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where Kat now calls home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. Along with the man of her dreams, she has two children: a rambunctious nine year-old girl and a sweet but vocal five year-old boy. Four cats, three dogs and an inordinate amount of pet hair complete her household. Kat writes super-powered urban fantasy that’s sexy, fun and dark. For fun she likes to read urban fantasy, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. She tries not to take anything in life too seriously and she tends to smile often.
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The Wolf of Ashford ManorToni Cox
Book Description:
The animal within him was never far from the surface, but with her, the wolf was untameable.
Patrick Blakesley, born to a bloodline of werewolves, falls in love with the mysteriously shy, yet ravishingly beautiful daughter of his new employer – the Lord of Ashford Manor.
When the town of Ashford is besieged by a sudden spate of murders, suspicions fall on Patrick, for he has been discovered for the beast that he is.Although forced to go into hiding, it does not stop Patrick from pursuing his love for Angelica. Shacked up in an old boat shed, they discover pleasures such as only forbidden fruits can yield.
As Patrick discovers all that Angelica has to offer, the brutal murders continue.Are they strong enough together to discover the true beast and tame it, before all of humanity perishes before its wrath?
Excerpt The Wolf of Ashford Manor:
Patrick stood at the precipice of the white cliffs, and looked out over the ocean, staring at the distant continent across the water - the ship he had stepped off earlier already out of sight.Too long had he been away from home, and he now turned his back on those distant shores, burying deep within him the memories of the last three years.He strode out strong, his long legs steeled from the years in the war. He had miles to go to Ashford, and would not reach it for several days. He knew there would be some inns along the road, and hoped to find accommodations there for the nights.After a good day’s march, Patrick re-adjusted his heavy satchel, and stepped of the rutted road to let a wagon pass. The two heavy draught horses snorted uneasily as they passed him. He looked up into the sky, and realised night would be upon him soon.“Good sir,” he called out to the driver, “Would there be an inn close by?”“Not for another twenty miles, ‘m ‘fraid.”The horse nearest to him snorted uneasily, and the driver turned his attention away from Patrick. Stepping back from the road, he cast another look above. Wispy clouds sailed across an orange tinged sky as the sun began to set in the west. Soon, the moon would rise.Leaving the driver of the wagon to calm his horses, Patrick turned away from the road, and headed towards the forest not far off. A vein in his neck throbbed at the thought of spending the night within the confines of the dark trees before him.He walked deep into the woods, well out of sight of the road. At a pebbly creek, he hung his satchel upon a high branch of a tree before slaking his thirst with the cool water.As the light faded, Patrick gathered firewood and made a fire pit with rocks from the river bed. He put dry moss and kindling in the center, and then stacked some logs around it, but he did not light it.Instead, Patrick removed his clothing, folding it neatly and stacked it next to the fire pit. His clothes were worn and faded, but clean.Although muscular, his tall body was made of clean lines, long legs, and a broad chest. Years of war had made him lean, and tough.Naked, he cast an approving glance over his sparse camp, then walked away from it. Over the years that he had been away, he had learned to control himself. It had not always been easy, and until even a year ago there were occasions where he could not trust himself.Today, however, he was in control. Away from his camp, with the moon rising over the forest, his naked body distorted, changing shape with agonising contortions.Breathing heavily, the werewolf’s fur bristled in the cool evening air and he raised his snout to taste the scents on the wind. Tonight, he would hunt.
~
With blood dripping from his muzzle, the dark werewolf lay down beneath some brambles to rest. He licked his paw, content, his belly full with the flesh of a roe deer.As morning dawned, the wolf rose, silently padding towards the neat camp prepared the night before. After ensuring that the camp had not been disturbed, Patrick changed into his human form, reversing the contortions from the night before.He stood for a moment, shivering and sore, before he willed himself to light the fire. He washed the blood off his body in the shallow creek, donned his clothes, and then warmed himself by his fire while the memory of the wolf slowly retreated from his body.Coming back into his human form was always unpleasant. There had been times where he considered taking the wolf form permanently. Once, he had remained a werewolf for several months, and it had almost cost him his humanity.Once the shivering ceased, Patrick drank from the river, then extinguished his fire. He cleared his camp to make it look as if he had never been there. Soon, he was on the road again, striding out strong towards his home.He looked forward to coming home. Patrick was the only son and heir of Edward Blakesley, and they have always had a close bond. From the moment he was born, his father had spent every available moment with him.When the time came that Patrick could walk and talk and understand, Lord Blakesley had undertaken the task of educating Patrick in the history of their bloodline.It had frightened Patrick at first. Although his father never transformed in front of him until he was much older, Patrick often dreamed of beasts during the dark nights. When his mother came to comfort him, he would shy away from her, and only settle down when his father came into his room.For the most important, and unbreakable, rule his father taught him, was to never hurt his mother. It was one of Patrick’s biggest fears as he grew up. The werewolf rage could be a hard thing to control even for a grown man, for a teenager learning the skill, it could almost be impossible.Often, his father would take him away on hunting trips. Patrick felt more at ease during those times, away from his beloved mother, as well as the town folk.During the years between eleven and seventeen, Patrick learned everything he needed to know about being a werewolf, but the biggest test was yet to come. During those early years, the transformation was only partial, becoming fuller with every passing year.Patrick’s father called him a late bloomer, for Lord Blakesley had fully matured by the age of eighteen. When Patrick turned seventeen, his transformation still lacked its full intensity.Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, however, Patrick’s demeanour changed. He became agitated, expressed anger for no apparent reason, and often fought with his parents.He could not control these feelings and on days when he was calm, he regretted the way he had spoken to his parents. One day, his parents called him into the parlour.“It is time, my son.”At first, Patrick did not understand.“I have written to your uncle in Villadiego. There is civil unrest in that country, bordering on war, but he will be glad to receive you. Your term to reach full maturity has begun. For the next two to three years your body will undergo the most radical changes in your development. Are you ready to take this journey?”They had discussed this so many times, Patrick knew what to expect, yet the sudden thought of leaving had sent him into a fit of rage.With his father in full werewolf form, and his mother levelling her rifle at him, he had eventually calmed down enough to answer.“Yes, Father. I am sorry, Mother. I shall pack my things immediately.”
~
And so, his journey had begun three years ago. He had taken a sailing vessel across the channel to the mainland and then begged to accompany a tradesman on his trip to the Iberian peninsula.The tradesman carried weapons, for by now, the Carlists had declared war. Patrick knew nothing of Carlists, or even much about Spain, so he listened carefully when the tradesman spoke of what awaited them.By the time he reached his uncle, Angus Blakesley, two months after his departure from his homestead in Ashford, Spain was in turmoil. Lord Blakesley’s modest villa, set deep within the farmlands and away from the town of Villadiego, lay unscathed, unlike some of the towns Patrick had come through along his way.“My boy, it is good to see you,” his uncle welcomed him. “I last saw you when you were but five years old.”“Thank you, for having me, Uncle.”“It is my pleasure. Come, freshen up and then you can talk to me of home.”They soon formed a close bond, his uncle continuing the teachings of his father. Although a likable man and pleasant company, Patrick’s uncle was a strict and unforgiving teacher.This was good, for never before had Patrick felt such rage. At times, Angus locked Patrick within the cellar of the villa for days while his blood boiled within him, and his body screamed in pain as it changed.Other times, however, Patrick’s rage simmered deep beneath the surface, calmed by the gentle hands of the nubile bodies of his uncles maids.When he was nineteen, the war had spread, foreign legions joining the fighting. With the villa; and the town of Villadiego; under threat, Patrick joined the Spanish military. In desperate need of soldiers, no-one questioned his lineage.With his uncle by his side, he learned everything there was to learn about war, and more. Angus made him fight with rapier and lance until his body was lean and strong.Only once Patrick had proven himself in battle as a man; and proven he could control his temper; did Angus allow him on the battlefield as a wolf.During those times, their combined power was that of twenty men and they would always win the battle on those days. No-one ever believed those who said they saw an abnormally large wolf, and most dismissed the reports as wolves scavenging the countryside for corpses.It was then that Patrick tasted human flesh for the first time. It disgusted and excited him at the same time. The werewolf within him had never tasted anything as deliriously delicious as human flesh before, but the human within him rebelled against the thought of feasting on another human being.“It is was sets us apart from the ferals, Patrick.”“Ferals?”“Feral werewolves. Not bred of our noble line, but humans that were bitten. They are unable to show restraint and so choose to remain in their wolf form. It makes them forget their human lives. I know of no beast more vicious or dangerous.”“That is abhorrent.”“Indeed, my boy. Those creatures are truly terrifying, and are the werewolves the legends are based on.”After serving for nearly two years, Patrick returned to the villa. Angus now concentrated on continuing Patrick’s academic education, teaching him astronomy, mathematics, Latin, and the fine art of Spanish cuisine.Another thing he learned while residing at his uncle’s villa, was the delectable taste of the Spanish maidens. With his dark hair, pale skin, and sultry looks, he was never in short supply of admiring ladies.The servants at the villa soon spread the word of the handsome nephew and the young women who tended the orchards and vineyards around the estate would often make the detour past the villa on their way home.Patrick’s uncle neither encouraged, nor forbid it, but rather left him to find his own way in the matters of the heart and sexual fantasies. They never spoke about it, except during a lesson about reproducing and the woman bearing a son. Patrick took heed and, using his exceptional senses, would only lie with a woman if it was safe to do so.Patrick took all his uncle’s lessons to heart and, as he grew older, he matured. The war taught him humility, honour, valour, and, above all else, to value life.His final act on the mainland was to help his uncle hunt, and kill, a pack of ferals that had terrorised the town of Villadiego. A lesson Patrick would never forget.
About Toni Cox:
Born in Germany in 1976, Toni Cox moved to South Africa in 1991. Although she has spent much of her working career in the timber wholesale business, she is also an accomplished horse rider, has a diploma in project management, photography, and nutrition, and has a passion for books and all things fantasy.
From a young age, her dream had always been to put her imagination into words - give the stories life. When she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2013, she decided life is too short not to follow her dream. So, with the support of her husband and three children, she began writing book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy in January 2015.
Toni Cox writes Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy. She is a firm believer in dragons.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ToniCoxAuthor
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Haunted Halloween Spooktacular Origins by Celia Breslin & Giveaway
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Spooktacular Vampire Detective Midnight by JC Andrijeski #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Icus30pG21m
The Fog Book One Hayley Lawson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/AC3W30pG1WR
Scarlet – Taming the Thirst Shades of Red Book 2 by T.L. Christianson ******Paranormal Romance, Thriller, Suspense ------- A Spooktacular Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway****** #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/exRR30pG1V0
Halloween Spooktacular tour for Haunted Flint by Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/owSr30pG1SD
Book Spotlight & #Excerpt ~ The Harvest of Her Life’s Summer by Veronica Gventsadze ~ Women’s Fiction ~ #BewitchingBookTours http://ow.ly/hVDB30pG1P9
Spooktacular Flash Fiction Amber Ruin by Suzanne M Sabol & Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/BjDr30pG1K0
A Magic Redemption by Tena Stetler - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Ry1N30pG1HI
The Darkest Gateway Booke of the Hidden Book Four Jeri Westerson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Tss630pF761
Magically Good Books in the Bewitching Book Tours October Book Fair http://www.bewitchingbooktours.com/bo...
#urbanfantasy #horror #PNR #hauntedhistory
Join the multi-author online party October 16 and win fun prizes while chatting with #PNR, #UF, #SciFi and #Horror authors https://www.facebook.com/events/40171...
Frighteningly Good Cocktails for Your Halloween Party by Luna Joya #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/caoE30pF784
Scottish Ghost Stories with Jennifer Allis Provost #bewitchingbooktourshttp://ow.ly/WUpo30pF741
Halloween Spooktacular tour for Flesh by Laura Bickle #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/QqLe30pF73t
Unorthodox A Kendra Spark Novel Book One by S. Peters-Davis ****Paranormal - Suspense - Thriller - Romance - Supernatural - Spooktacular Flash Fiction; Ghost-Riddance! Spotlight**** #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/uc2830pF75w
Scottish Ghost Stories with Jennifer Allis Provost
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Perfect Punches for Your Halloween by Luna Joya
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October 6, 2019
Bewitching Halloween Books by Roxanne Rhoads : Non-Fiction #HalloweenBooks #Halloween #HalloweenReads
The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner
Do you want to plan a Halloween party but you have no idea where to start?
Are you in the midst of planning a party but can't stay organized?
The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner is exactly what you need.Filled with Halloween party tips and ideas, a party planning timeline and checklist, a budget sheet, a guest list chart, to do lists, monthly calendars, weekly to do lists, lined notebook pages, blank sketch pages, recipe pages, craft pages, costume planning pages, and more- this planner has everything you need to plan a Halloween party your guests will never forget.
100 Halloween Writing Prompts: A Curated Selection of Halloween Images to Inspire Short Stories, Poetry, Essays and Blog Posts
Cute and creepy, magical whimsy, cozy fall and colorful autumn splendor images fill this notebook with 100 Halloween writing prompts.
Plump pumpkins, dark nights, scary skulls, wicked witches….flip through the pages and be inspired to write Halloween short stories, poetry, essays and blog posts.
Haunted Flint
Sinister Secrets in Flint’s History
Home to ancient burial grounds, unsolved murders, economic depression, and a water crisis, Flint emits an unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters.
Colonel Thomas Stockton’s ever vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots.
Restless spirits long separated from their graves lurk among the ancient stones in Avondale Cemetery.
Carriage maker W.A. Paterson’s spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on impressionable young men.
Join authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint’s most haunted locations.
Honoring the Dead : Death Holidays Around the World
Halloween isn't the only celebration of the dead.
Death is the one thing that connects us all. Inescapable, death will visit each and every one of us.
That is why throughout time and around the world people of different religions, backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities have had special days dedicated to honoring their dead.
In this book you'll learn about Halloween's origins along with other death celebrations around the world: China's Hungry Ghost Festival, Pchum Ben in Cambodia, Toro Nagashi and Obon in Japan, Chuseok in Korea, Gai Jatra in Nepal, and Dia de los Muertos which is celebrated in parts of Mexico, Latin America, and Spain.
A Guide To Greening Halloween
Halloween is a holiday that can really take its toll on resources: candy, decorations, food, costumes, and more.
This guide will help you green the three major areas of Halloween fun: the costume, the party and the decorations.
October 5, 2019
Upcoming Haunted Flint Events
Haunted Flint Book Signing at Fenton Witches Night Out Friday, October 11, 2019 at 5 PM – 7 PMFenton's Open Book105 W Shiawassee Ave, Fenton, Michigan 48430
On October 11, as part of Fenton's Witches Night Out, Roxanne will be at Fenton's Open Book from 5-7 PM signing copies of Haunted Flint
Haunted Flint Haunted America Seriesby Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani
Release Date: September 2, 2019
Publisher: The History Press
Home to ancient burial grounds, unsolved murders, economic depression and a water crisis, Flint emits an unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters.
Colonel Thomas Stockton's ever-vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots.
Restless spirits long separated from their graves lurk among the ancient stones at Avondale Cemetery. Carriage maker W.A. Paterson's spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on impressionable young men.
Join authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint's most haunted locations.
Witchtober Fest Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 11 AM – 4 PMThe Good Beans Cafe328 N Grand Traverse St, Flint, Michigan 48503
Have a bewitching time at the first ever Witchtober Fest in Flint!
Local Authors will be on hand telling stories from their books, Live Presentations, children’s crafts, spooky artists and vendors and so much more!
See you at Good Beans on October 12th from 11am - 4pm! Admission is $5 and benefits the YWCA of Greater Flint. Dress in your Witchy Best and get $2 off admission!
Authors Schedule11:15 - 11:45 Serafina Bersonage “A Witches Education”
12:15 - 12:45 Martha Allard “Dust”, “Black Light” and more
1:15 - 1:45 Melodie Bolt “Incarceration”, “Hoofbeats”, “In the Garden Of the Crow” and more
2:15 - 2:45 Avonelle Morley “Dead Obsession” & “Body Hunters”
3:15 - 3:45 Roxanne Rhoads “Haunted Flint”, “Hex and the Single Witch”, and more
Presenters
11:50 - 12:10 Davonna Wallace “As the Pendulum Swings” - a fun & educational presentation and storytelling on pendulums and their history.
1:50 - 2:10 Leanne Kellett “The Astrology of Halloween” - when little witches and the Stars come out to play, it makes for an interesting evening.
2:50 - 3:10 Melissa Kurtz “In the Graveyard” - graveyard practices: what to do, what not to do, and how to honor the blessed dead.
Explore Ghosts in Flint & GeneseeFriday, October 18, 2019 at 6 PM – 11 PMExplore Flint & Genesee519 S Saginaw St, Ste 200, Flint, Michigan 48502
Friday, October 18 from 6 p.m. - ??? Tickets are $20. Pre-registration is required. To register visit: https://bit.ly/2l9xEIl
Join the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Haunted Flint, for a creepy crawl on Friday, October 18th as we Explore the Ghosts of Flint and Genesee!
In coordination with the book Haunted Flint we shall take terrifying tours of several of Flint’s notoriously haunted attractions – The Capitol Theater, Avondale Cemetery, The Durant-Dort Carriage Company Building, and the Stockton Center. Mark your calendars for a night of freaky fun that will be sure to give you a shiver.
Meet in Brush Park for registration and resource tables. Purchase a copy of Haunted Flint before the tour begins!
A lot of walking will be taking place on this tour. This tour requires that you take the bus to all locations. Each bus will go to all stops on the tour.
Haunted Halls & Magickal Marketplace Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 10 AM – 6 PMHoliday Inn Flint 5353 Gateway Centre, Flint, Michigan 48507
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR!
$5 Admission (FREE With $50 #MidMichParaCon Ticket)
Walk the Haunted Halls of our Psychic Fair and browse our Magickal Marketplace! Over 60+ Unique Vendors!
Halloween Erotica by Roxanne Rhoads #halloweenerotica #halloweenreads #sexyHalloween #hallowrotica
Hex and the Single Witch Vehicle City Vampires Book One
Anwyn Rose is descended from a long line of powerful witches yet she can barely cast spells young witchlings have mastered.
She has one functioning witch gift, the power of knowing, which she puts to good use as a Detective on Flint?s Preternatural Investigation Team.It?s a new era in Vehicle City, supernaturals are running the town.
The P.I.T has their hands full with paranormal crimes. Top priority is a serial killer, who appears to be a vampire, draining young women in the city.
Anwyn is on the case with her sexy partner Detective Mike Malone.
Complicating things is her relationship Galen, a vampire who looks more guilty than innocent, although Anwyn trusts her instincts even if her power is on the fritz.
Mysterious spells, compromising situations, and a possible demon on the loose make it hard to focus on the case, but Anwyn has to make things right before the human police execute the wrong vampire.
Hex and the Single Witch contains magick, a little bit of mystery, a lot of supernatural mayhem, and a sexy love triangle that will leave you wanting more.
Books2Read
Eternal Desire Desire Series Book One
Halloween in New Orleans, anything can happen…including love and magick.
Paranormal researcher Liz Beth's dreams are haunted by a sensual vampire.
She arrives in New Orleans the week of Halloween in search of her elusive dream lover, but instead finds a handsome stranger.
They begin a passionate affair. Soon she is torn between dreams and reality, lost somewhere in the middle trying to regain reason.
She aches to find the vampire of her dreams but can't seem to break free of the spell her sexy stranger has her tangled in.
Books2Read
Haunting Desire
Desire Series Book Two
Welcome to the Inn of Amorous Apparitions where your every libidinous longing can be fulfilled by sensual spirits.
LizBeth has been hired to use her ghost whispering skills on the specters at the Castle Inn, but instead of banishing the seductive spooks Barbara, the Inn Keeper, wants them to "come out and play" with her special guests.
The Castle Inn is set to become the destination for the ghost sex fetish crowd. But first LizBeth has to convince the voluptuous visions that it is alright to participate in spectrophilia fun with the guests.
LizBeth has a special talent for seeing and communicating with ghosts but these enchanting ethereals are not cooperating with her, or her vampire boyfriend. Something odd is fueling the raunchy wraiths and they have to discover the power source or risk leaving a customer unsatisfied.
There’s more to this haunting than the average ghost. Will LizBeth be able uncover the mystery of this sexy haunted mansion?
Books2Read
A Halloween to Remember
There are two things Chrissy and Martin really love besides each other—sex and Halloween. They even bought a spooky old Victorian house with a graveyard in the back. Could they have a better place to throw a lavish Halloween party?
Adena's not much for the crazy orgies that happen at Chrissy's parties but she can't say no to her best friend's Halloween-housewarming party either. So she dresses up, arrives late and stays away from most of the swinging people and wild activities at the party. At least until she encounters the man of her dreams at midnight. Dimitri is everything Adena has always dreamed of in a man: dark, handsome, smart…but there’s something a little off about him.
When she discovers just what makes Dimitri different, Adena decides to find a way for them to be together. But will love and faith, along with Halloween magic, be enough to bring Adena's darkly handsome lover, Dimitri, back to her before it’s too late?
Books2Read
Halloween Surprise
Alcina and Estra are ready to enjoy everything Halloween has to offer them – food, fun, and, most of all – the pleasures of the flesh.
After enjoying each other’s bodies for hours they decide it’s time to find a man. Luckily for Michael he’s the one that happens to cross their path. After quickly deciding that he is exactly what they were looking for, they convince him to take them back to his place for a wild Halloween ménage ‘a trios.
He ends up getting more than he bargained for with a sexy, but shocking, Halloween surprise...
Books2Read
October 4, 2019
Celia Breslin's Top Ten TV and Movie Werewolves
Hi Everyone!
Halloween is the perfect time of year to binge-watch supernatural shows. For your viewing pleasure, here are my top ten favorite movies and TV shows featuring wolf shifters in either a primary role or as fun supporting characters.
In no particular order…
MOVIES and TV
1. The Underworld movies. Seriously badass Lycans.
2. Wolf (1994), starring Jack Nicholson. Can’t go wrong with Jack Nicholson.
3. An American Werewolf in London (1981). A classic. Humor + Horror.
4. Ginger Snaps (2001). Teen angst. Dark humor + horror.TV
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seth Green as Oz, the musician/werewolf who loves Willow.
6. Vampire Diaries. Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood, a broody bad boy with heart.
7. True Blood. Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux = soooo sexy.
8. The Originals. Joseph Morgan as Niklaus Mikaelson. A vampire/werewolf hybrid, 100% badass. So are the other hybrids on the show.
9. Supernatural. Entertaining werewolves on both sides of the “good vs. bad” fence.
10. Legacies. A Vampire Diaries spin-off chock-full of werewolves and other teens from the preternatural community.
Jasmine MoonBlack Hills WolvesCelia BreslinGenre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Date of Publication: June 3, 2016
ISBN: 9781683610458ASIN: B01GKB9WMO
Number of pages: 108Word Count: 36,400
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Book Description:
Tech mogul and workaholic Wolf Evan Luparell has little time for distractions but takes a break for his brother’s wedding in South Dakota. When asked to escort another wedding attendee from the airport to Los Lobos, he agrees. Then he meets the curvy spitfire, and she ignores him.
Designer and Wolf Mina Carver didn’t mean to be rude to the handsome, glowering man claiming to be her ride, but she was busy working. Now she must endure a ride to the Black Hills with the cranky but sexy Dominant Wolf. Unexpected mating energy sparks between them, but still—should she dismiss, or kiss him?
Kisses win and they agree upon a no-strings fling. But with each wedding activity throwing them together, and their powerful chemistry and mate compatibility complicating matters, can two workaholics truly have their fun then walk away?
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Excerpt:Evan tipped his head and eyed the ceiling. Prompt replies, punctual people. Striking deals and hitting deadlines. These items made his world tick. Not loitering around a miniscule airport pulling a Waiting for Godot moment on infinite repeat for a no-show, flakey designer from California.God grant him patience and balls of steel when he showed up without the designer and the all-important wedding dress, because his future sister-in-law Darci would certainly be unhappy. […]He took a deep fortifying breath and froze. Airport smells assailed his senses—the sharp tang of bleach and lemon-scented cleaners, […] coffee, donuts, fried fast food, and under it all, the distinct musk of wolf.Female wolf.She smelled damn good. His wolf perked up, and his legs propelled him toward the empty baggage claim, where one bright-pink suitcase covered in Hello Kitty stickers sat, unclaimed, on the unmoving L-shaped conveyor belt. Her scent, stronger here, socked his gut, and his gaze shot to the corner.The chaos around the woman stunned him silent. Large, paper coffee cup, half-eaten banana, and a quarter of a powdered doughnut perched on a brown paper bag next to her. Crumbs splattered the linoleum and the woman’s long-sleeved blue blouse in a thick layer of white, sugary dust. On her other side, two pink garment bags lay like corpses, along with a bubblegum-pink unzipped duffel as long as her outstretched, denim-clad legs. Some of the bag’s contents—pads of drawing paper and large swaths of fabric—protruded over the opening, the fabric splaying over her legs in a rainbow-colored blanket. Her feet peeked out of the mess, encased in sparkling pink UGGs. Good grief, sequins? She smacked her shiny boots together in a poor imitation of Dorothy and bobbed her head from side to side in time to some music only she seemed to hear. Her shoulder-length red hair, the color of ripe dark cherries—his favorite fruit—gleamed under the harsh airport lighting and curtained most her face from his view, save a pert nose and small chin, both speckled with a generous amount of freckles.He’d always liked freckles. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer, but she didn’t flinch in surprise or look up. Her attention remained on the tablet on her lap, the stylus between her pale, freckled fingers swiping without hesitation over her screen. […]He positioned himself right in front of her wiggly, booted feet. “Excuse me, J—”“Sh.” She raised her arm and flicked her hand in the universal get lost gesture.He gaped at her. “Excuse me?”Another wave of her hand while her stylus streaked across her tablet screen with the other. “Not interested.”Nice voice. Low and husky. Her attitude, on the other hand… “But—”“Go away.” Her velvet voice carried a stubborn edge.
In other circumstances, he would’ve admired her strength. But he’d wasted copious amounts of time hunting for the clearly inconsiderate and irresponsible female. “Fine. Get your own damn ride to Los Lobos. Jasmine.”
About the Author:
Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, and the Fae. Her stories are action-packed and typically include one of the many varieties of romantic entanglements: fated mates, second chance, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.
When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies, as well as everything in the Marvel Universe franchise. Of course!
Web site: http://www.celiabreslin.com/
Blog: http://www.celiabreslin.com/blog/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeliaBreslinAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/celiabreslin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celiabreslin/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bxqwRL
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October 3, 2019
Scottish Ghost Stories with Jennifer Allis Provost
Scottish Ghost Stories
As the calendar approaches Halloween each year, talk inevitably turns to ghost stories. What better way to celebrate the season that with ghost stories from Scotland, the birthplace of Halloween? Below are some of the most chilling tales based in two of Scotland’s largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Edinburgh is the ideal setting for a ghost story, what with its gruesome past and ancient warren of streets. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, located in the Old Town, was the scene of religious persecutions in the seventeenth century. There have been more than five hundred recorded poltergeist attacks within the kirkyard.
Not quite a ghost story, the tale of William Burke and William Hare is chilling nonetheless. They were body snatchers turned murderers that operated in Edinburgh between 1827 and 1829. They sold their corpses to one Dr. Knox at Edinburgh University to use in his lectures. Eventually, the pair were implicated when Dr. Knox made a full confession. Hare turned king’s evidence on Burke, and Burke was hanged shortly afterward. His corpse was dissected and his skeleton displayed at the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh Medical School, where he remains today. A fitting end, if you ask me.
Several stories originate in the city’s underground alleys, one of the most famous being Mary King’s Close and the Blair Street Vaults. Costumed tur guides will regale you with tales of intrigue, plague, and murder. Or better yet, visit the Edinburgh Dungeons where you can take a turn on the Drop Dead Ride, where you learn what it’s like to be hanged in excruciating detail. If you survive, you can hear all about Scotland’s most famous cannibal, Sawney Bean.
As the most populous city in Scotland, Glasgow has plenty of ghoulish tales to tell. Some say a lovely lady haunts Hillhead station. Witnesses have seen her wearing pre-WWII finery, and she’s always laughing or whistling a song. As ghosts go, she’s ne I wouldn’t mind running into.
The ghosts associated with the track between West Street and Shields Road aren’t nearly as fun. Reports of this ghost claim it’s half boy, half animal, and it tends to be gnawing on something. I suppose it’s for the best that we don’t know what that “something” is.
Glasgow’s southern Necropolis made headlines in the 1950s when children began roaming the graveyard in search of a seven foot tall vampire. The vampire—who was said to have metal teeth—was blamed for two missing children. Neither the children nor the metal-mouthed vampire were ever found. What are some ghost stories you’ve enjoyed, Scottish or otherwise? Tell us in the comments!
GallowglassBook OneJennifer Allis ProvostGenre: urban fantasy
Publisher: Bellatrix Press
Date of Publication: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1622510320ASIN: B06XXQCPFB
Number of pages: 271Word Count: 75k
Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs
Tagline: Karina didn’t set out to free the Seelie Queen’s gallowglass. Now she’ll do anything to keep him.
Book Description:
After Karina and her brother, Chris’s, lives fall apart in separate yet equally spectacular ways, they leave New York behind and head to the UK. Karina buries herself in research for her doctoral thesis, all the while studiously not thinking about the man who broke her heart, while Chris—who’d been a best-selling author before his ex-fiancée sued him for plagiarism—drinks his way across the British Isles.
In Scotland, they visit the grave of Robert Kirk, a seventeenth- century minister who was kidnapped by fairies. No one is more shocked than Karina when a handsome man with a Scottish brogue appears, claiming to be the Robert Kirk of legend. What’s more, he says he spent the last few hundred years as the Gallowglass, the Seelie Queen’s personal assassin. When they’re attacked by demons, Karina understands how dearly the queen wants him back.
As Karina and Robert grow closer, Chris’s attempts to drown his sorrows lead him to a pub, and a woman called Sorcha. Chris is instantly smitten with her, so much so he spends days with Sorcha and lies to his sister about his whereabouts. When Chris comes home covered in fey kisses, Karina realizes that the Seelie Queen isn’t just after Robert.
Can Karina outsmart the Seelie Queen, or is Robert doomed to forever be the Gallowglass?
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About the Author:
Jennifer Allis Provost writes books about faeries, orcs and elves. Zombies too. She grew up in the wilds of Western Massachusetts and had read every book in the local library by age twelve. (It was a small library.) An early love of mythology and folklore led to her epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Parthalan, and her day job as a cubicle monkey helped shape her urban fantasy, Copper Girl. When she’s not writing about things that go bump in the night (and sometimes during the day) she’s working on her MFA in Creative Nonfiction.
Web and blog: https://authorjenniferallisprovost.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/copperraven
Twitter: https://twitter.com/parthalan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennallis/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Allis-Provost/e/B003LXSUFU/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2975887.Jennifer_Allis_Provost
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